Piper PA-28-140 N801FS
14 December 2004 · Sleetmute, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 14 December 2004 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N801FS was involved in an accident near Sleetmute, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sleetmute, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.0833, -156.9000
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N801FS
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Anchorage → Bethel
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC05LA018
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a fractured exhaust valve, which resulted in a forced landing, and subsequent nose over of the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for a successful emergency landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial certificated pilot reported that while the airplane was in level cruise flight at 5,000 msl, he noted a rough running engine and a slight reduction in engine rpm, which was followed by a rapid loss of engine power, and subsequent loss of altitude. He was unable to restore adequate engine power to maintain level flight, and selected a snow-covered area as a forced landing site. During the landing roll, the airplane's nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. An FAA inspector reported that during his inspection of the accident airplane's engine, he discovered that a significant portion of the exhaust valve had broken free from the exhaust valve stem in the number 1 cylinder. He stated that the broken portion of the valve subsequently entered the number 1 cylinder combustion chamber and damaged the piston.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2004 | Piper PA-28-161 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | IATA Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-28-180 | Hurdland, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2004 | Piper PA-28-181 | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Pan Am International Flight Academy Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 31 Jul 2004 | Piper PA-28-140 | Custer, South Dakota, United States | Flight Training Adventure Camps | No injuries | - |
| 8 Dec 2004 | Piper PA-28-161 | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2004 | Piper PA-28-181 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-22-160 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 2004 | Piper PA-18-150 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Eric A. Swenson | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2004 | Cessna 185 | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2004 | Beechcraft 36 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | John Collins | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Dec 2004 | Boeing 747SR-146B SF | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2004 | Christen HUSKY A-1 | Bethel, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |